HUD Moves to Limit Assistance Animals for Disabled Tenants [View all]

Source: NYT

The Trump administration on Friday narrowed the definition of an “assistance animal” allowed to live with disabled tenants in housing, a move that could lead to thousands of animals and their owners being evicted.

In an internal memo obtained by The New York Times, the Department of Housing and Urban Development told leaders in its fair housing office that “effective immediately” the department would exclude emotional support animals and more strictly police the definition of a qualified service animal when granting accommodations for disabled tenants.

Many landlords enforce a no-pets policy, or may charge renters a deposit or monthly fee for pets. Under the Fair Housing Act, disabled tenants can ask to have those restrictions waived to accommodate their disabilities.

In the first Trump administration, HUD issued guidance to landlords reinforcing that emotional support animals and other assistance animals were not considered pets, and were protected by the Fair Housing Act. Officials noted that emotional support animals provided “therapeutic emotional support” for people with disabilities.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/22/us/politics/hud-assistance-animals-disabled.html